Questions about playerworld hosting/billing/development
 

Hi. I just recently (today) got my playerworld aproved, and have a question. Its not showing up in the RC menu. I was under the impression that you could work on the playerworld prior to paying for hosting, just not open it up to the public. Can i? I really have no idea what im doing at the moment, and was hoping this would be the way to get started without a) screwing up someone elses server while poking around, and b) shelling out 60-100 bucks on a fleeting fancy.

Could someone maybe explain to me the progression from the server not existing, to the server being in a state where developers can log on and start working on the server? So far its been approved on graal.net, and i have a project page for it.. but, outward appearances don't suggest to me that anything other than the graal.net page for it exists yet.

Pretty sure that you have to pay for the space before it goes online to work on it.

Yes, having a project approved is a separate process, but a required first step, before chosing to purchase a hosting plan.

Word of advice : make your levels, graphics, and even some ganis offline, then when all that is left is your GS2 npc scripts (which only work online) then buy your hosting plan.

So i cant really do any testing until ive bought the hosting? I can understand that i guess, it costs something to store and run the stuff. It's not a very straight forward thing though. I only heard about graal.net through an in-game conversation. And there is no allusion to there being any additional cost when you actually sign-up for the playerworld, i was under the impression that it was somehow inclusive in a gold/vip subscription.

But that part is not too big of a deal. It just makes me hesitant to foot the 60 bucks for 6 months of hosting. I have only a vague idea of what comes along with hosting. I guess knowing what you are doing is assumed when you sign up. But for those of us that dont, making a more distinct path from the graalonline site, to the graal.net site, and detailing the service you get, and the cost, prior to having gotten approval for the playerworld, may help. I guess it would be wise of me to ask around/wait for a few more replies to this post before buying the hosting.

Yes, thats logical. Really though, i plan on using already available graphics and ganis to start with, and the initial few levels won't really take too long to churn out. Game logic is mostly what im interested in working on. I'd be happiest just leaving most everything else to refactoring. I guess it'd be best to have 'something' before i pay for hosting though.

I recently purchased my third graal server, considering its only 60$ which isn't reall that much money for the amount of fun you can get out of it. It's really worth it when you get a project finished and you can look back and think yeah I did that. From past experience I highly recommend you go ahead and buy your server straight away

Granted, it is true that you do not have to have a single level or script made in order for you to purchase a server, I still reccomend having your starting levels, inside and outside, at least, before buying your hosting package.

One of the things that will happen when you have your server hosted, is the distraction of people randomly logging in to your server and ask about hiring. Many, many people, in some cases.

Most starting server managers, from my experience, have most of what they want their server to be very well shaped - in their mind.

Make a typed out, written plan of what your server is going to be about, have a map of your overworld with preferably what is going to go where, know what staff positions you will need, have enough content for staff to have something to make. If you start with nothing and ask for anything, then you will end up likely with a pile of disjointed content of different styles that does not really hold together - and you don't want that, because people (the players, your audience) want smooth, consistent gameplay.

Then, when you know what your server is going to do, and how it's going to happen, and who is needed, and what they need to do, and how much time you are going to give staff to do what they are assigned, and a screening process for who to hire and when to fire people, then you are just about ready to spend money on hosting your server public to the gold accounts.

Also be careful about using other server's graphics and ganis - if they are named servername_graphic.png or servername_sword.gani, where servername is classic or era or something, then chances are that particular server does not want you to copy their ganis or graphics.

Also please name your custom ganis and graphics with yourservername_whatever.extention

I share all this from experience, and I hope you have lots of fun with your server.

What project have you finished?

Finished = Public, classic server.

You already know the answer to that. :rolleyes:

Since 2003 the only new server has been Zone.

While in the span of 2000-2003, many servers were made/removed.

SEE A LINK? :eek: :eek: :eek:

Not that 'project' nessesarily implies the whole playerworld though, maybe hes just refering to certain parts of his playerworld. And id imagine if you finish a playerworld (as i stop working on it) it'd quickly bitrot into oblivion, and theres nothing satisfying about that.

Thanks for the advice guys... i went and bought the thing anyhow though. Im not a very patient person.